Speaking at the virtual The Wall Street Journal Global Food Forum, Mark Clouse CEO of Campbell Soup Company reviewed trends in food purchases since the onset of COVID-19 in the U.S. Clouse noted that during the early phase of the infection requiring shut-down of restaurants and QSRs, stay-at-home cooking created a market for “comfort foods”.  Subsequently, over succeeding months, consumers have continued to purchase from the center of the store with food and beverage sales up 13 percent in the second quarter compared to the corresponding period in 2019.

According to the report on the virtual Global Food Forum, The Wall Street Journal noted that IRI data documented a change in demand for products for creative cooking and the re-emergence of health concerns.  Home confinement coupled with a shift from offices to homes as the new workplace has created a demand for snacks that will probably persist post-recovery.

Steve Cahillane, CEO of the Kellogg Company noted that his company has recorded an increase in consumption in cereal as “people are having breakfast together with their families.”  Kellogg specifically experienced declines in sales as younger consumers reject the bland appeal of soggy cereal.

It is clear that the challenge facing food manufacturers is to discern trends and determine what consumers need to satisfy demand through an extended period of COVID-dominant patterns. The American Egg Board has shifted emphasis in promotion and egg-based further-processed products are appearing in the market place, compensating for the decline in demand from the food-service sector.